Before the “Beast from the East” hit the UK, I headed up to London to catch the last day of Dan Witz’s Mosh Pit Paintings at The Stolen Space Gallery. I was so impressed with the full throttle energy he conveys in his works. The scenes looked so regal in the medium of oil paint yet so atmospheric that they instantly took me to the pit of my favourite gigs.

Big shout out to The Stolen Space Gallery for continuing to showcase artwork from talented artists from the street art and urban art scene. It’s one of the few galleries in London where I feel that subculture is represented and given a platform. I saw one of my favourite artists, Jouram Roukes, at the gallery many moons ago and always keep an eye out on social media for other new artists the gallery represents or upcoming exhibitions.

After the exhibitions and thirsty for more art, I wandered around Brick Lane to take in some of the murals that this area is famous for. It’s a changing canvas so it’s likely that something you saw last month won’t be there in a few weeks time and that’s what I love about the postcode; a rapid array of free art. But some pieces by, should we say, more well-known street artists, have stuck around for longer, probably because the locale wants to attract more tourists to the area using these big names.

With camera in tow, I took a few shots from the main street that leads down to the Truman Brewery. Another landmark close to my heart as it’s where I exhibited for my degree show – something else that feels like a lifetime ago!

It’s the freedom that many of us dream of. Whether it’s being liberated from the confines of a 9 to 5 pattern, having a better work-life balance or eliminating a tiresome commute – many of us dream of using our creative skills to set up a small business. It could be the satisfaction of seeing an artistic vision come to life, or of building a company that operates by your personal ethics. Perhaps you’re just a dreamer with a sketchpad and a big idea. But where on earth do you get started running your own creative business? Well, it could be a lot easier than you think.

Figure Out a Business Plan

The best small businesses start up with a strong vision. You need to figure out exactly what product you are making, who it’s for and how you will spread the word before anything else. Don’t be put off by this – a business plan can be a creative thing in itself – just take a look at The Right-Brain Business Plan: A Creative, Visual Map for Success. The plan will constitute your main ‘sell’ to investors, and keep you on track with your goals clearly in mind. Use it as a place to define what your business will stand for, and what needs you’ll help to meet for people. You should review the plan regularly as the company develops, Keeping the end in sight is important when you’re first starting out.

Choose a Name

Coming up with a name for your creative venture is the fun part, but it can also be surprisingly hard. What best expresses you and the change you want to make in the world? Picking something concise and memorable can help your marketing efforts later down the line. Remember to check on Companies House and Google to be sure that it’s not taken by another company before falling in love with something. It’s also worth thinking about the social media handles you want to use and seeing if these are also free. As social media is a great zero-to-low-cost marketing tool for small businesses, this can be critical.

Find a Source of Investment

Most businesses require some start-up funds – but in the case of running your own small creative company, they are usually fairly minimal. List out all the equipment that you will need to get started to work out how much capital you need. Then find a source – a lot of people with small outlays can use savings, or ask friends and family for a small loan. If you’re a homeowner, you may also be able to look at homeowner loans, which is better for your credit rating than an unsecured loan from the bank. Or you can turn to crowdfunding if you have an idea that you think will appeal to a lot of people.

Create an Online Presence

Word of mouth and online recommendations are definitely the way a small creative business without a big advertising budget can get noticed. Setting up a website or blog to speak about your intentions is a lovely organic way of creating a platform you can then introduce your products from. Similarly, curating a beautiful Instagram feed or finding and joining relevant Twitter parties can really spread the word about it. Think laterally about how you can use your products. If you have beautiful illustrations, will you offer them as prints, greetings cards, t-shirts, phone covers? Social media can be useful for getting opinions before investing in getting a product created.

But don’t forget about online market places such as Etsy, Folksy, Red Bubble and Society6. These are all places you can sell your wares and will almost immediately introduce you to millions of engaged shoppers. I currently have an Etsy store for my accessories side project and have found it to be extremely useful at getting my products seen and making sales!

Reach Out to Other Creatives

The best part of launching a small business is the community. So get to know other, like-minded creatives and see where it takes you. You could find a mentor or a collaborator, or just get some genius tips to help you along the way. Reach out to people operating in related areas – if you are a writer, could you pair with a small graphic designer to create something unique? There are always areas where small businesses can help each other out, gain exposure and save on costs – another area where your creating thinking skills can help!

Sort Out Your Tax

It’s essential not to get stung in the future by not having set your tax arrangements up properly, so start off on the right note by registering with HMRC as a sole trader. You aren’t required to have a separate business account at this stage, but its advisable to keep good records. There’s lots of free invoicing software that you can use, even from your smartphone, so keep a clear record of any income.

I’ve realised that I rarely share any of my drawings on this blog. I tend to use Instagram to share art as it’s so much easier to capture the mood and compose what I’m currently working on. So for a change, I’ve uploaded some photos of finished / work in progress / unfinished drawings from my sketchbooks.

I think I’ve been reluctant to share my work on the blog because the resolution is so much bigger than Instagram and I worry that every imperfection will be critiqued. But unless I do share these drawings here they’ll continue to be hidden within my sketchbook which is never my intention. I want to display my art to see how my skill changes and improves.

Sharing work is an important part of gathering feedback and I need to learn to not fear this.